A real-life Chihuly in Columbus, Indiana?! Heck yes! This famous glass artist with work seen in…read moreSeattle's Chihuly museum, Indy's Children Museum, and many other well-known spots across the globe, it's an honor to have such a large piece in a town's visitor's center. Columbus, Indiana may be small, but they're known for their world-class architecture and public sculptures. This chandelier is no exception to that. Make sure you stop in the visitor's center and look at this gorgeous glass, hanging from the ceiling in the stairwell. Enjoy!

Some artists have such distinctive styles that you can recognize their main style anywhere. Such…read moreis the case with the work of Dale Chihuly. His glass sculpture "Yellow Neon Chandelier" is a familiar style for anyone who has visited the Children's Museum in Indianapolis. Inside the Visitors Center in Columbus, the west stairwell holds the 9' high (6' wide) chandelier of multiple bright yellow swirl pointed tubes. The collection of tubes are broadest near the top and then taper to a point at the bottom. Each of the tubes is blown glass. Chihuly isn't limited to one style of artwork though. Inside the Center, there are lithographs that were created by the artist. But there is no doubt that creating fascinating works of glass requires as much knowledge of engineering as it does talent. In addition to the chandelier, the Center has a collection of "Persians" that are displayed below it. According to Chihuly's website, "Persians are an exploration of form, shape and color--a celebration of wild asymmetry and swirling pattern. They have an ancient sensibility, and for Chihuly, conjure notions of Venice, and the Near and Far East." And if these pieces aren't enough, take a short trip up to the IUPUC campus (4555 Central Avenue) to see the "Sun Garden" (2007) which is a painted plexiglass disc suspended from the ceiling of the Columbus Learning Center. While at the Visitors Center, don't be afraid to ask the staff about the artist. I learned a lot about his process and his history from them. Review #1304

The State of Indiana has a long history with glass and many Hoosiers love looking at objects made…read morefrom glass. (There are several glass "trails" for visitors to travel along in the state.) Although Dale Chihuly isn't from Indiana, his work occupies a number of locations around the area. One of Columbus, Indiana's points of pride is the "Sun Garden" located within the Columbus Learning Center on the north end of town. Located in a room specifically designed for showcasing a Chihuly piece, the 32 panel circular installation acts as a colorful skylight. Back in 2007, Chihuly created this plexiglass work that has each panel dedicated to the series of works he had created by that time. Each of the panels is also hand signed by the artist. I won't say any single panel is beautiful, but when gathered into this circle, the backlit colors work well together and is a "must see" for Chihuly fans when in town. Review #2735

This mural is part of the 2017 Color the County Mural Program. I love that program. It brings the…read morecommunity together, under the direction of a local artist, to bring a mural to life. This mural's artist is Danny Causey. This mural covers three of the building's walls and fittingly is of the town's namesake Benjamin Franklin. The mural depicts an image of Franklin on one wall and and colorful flights on the walls on each side. The mural is not actually painted on the wall, but was painted on boards that were put together to form the completed mural. I really love that the image of Franklin is monochrome blue and has some green glasses on that just comes out at you. It is very detailed and has an uncanny resemblance to Franklin. The kites are pretty basic, but most community murals have to be, but the colors and design still works. I just wish that they could have made the sky stormy, to depict Franklin's famous discovery of electricity, but oh well. Getting a closer look at the mural is easy. There is free street parking located across the street (that is where I parked). There is also a little strip mall parking lot next door and a free parking lot within a reasonable walking distance. As with most murals that I visited, this is not a long stop. I was there maybe 5 minutes tops. I recommend visiting here on your way to somewhere else or making this part of a larger itinerary. Depot park, an antique store and an awesome candy/ice cream are very close by.

In 2017, one of the Color the County murals for Johnson County was added to east Jefferson Street…read morenear the railroad tracks in Franklin. Artist Danny Causey was responsible for the design and installation of the mural. After community members helped fill in the basic design, Causey had to come back to complete the finished work. There are two main components to the mural. The walls facing east on the ends of the mural are covered with multiple colored kites being flown over rolling hills in a partly cloudy sky. The image is simple, much like a child might draw, but large in scale and generally appealing due to its relatability. The center of the mural which is on a north facing wall features Ben Franklin's portrait done in a deep blue color over a black background. It takes on the look of someone standing under a blacklight. To add whimsy, Causey added florescent green glass frames to Franklin to further the effect. As the city's namesake, it seems fitting that the connection to Franklin is immediate between his image and the story of his flying a kite to determine that lightning was electricity (though no storm is painted on the wall.) Review #1263

This is a cool thing that my wife and I came across while we were in Nashville Indiana. This was…read moresomething I like to pose next to take some photos. Have a good time and check out for sure.

High Lonesome is a description for the type of music pioneered by Bluegrass legend Bill Monroe…read more Monroe started a Bluegrass Festival in nearby Bean Blossom and it has become the longest continuous running Blue Grass Festival in the country (over 50 years.) To celebrate the contribution of Monroe to the cultural history of the area, an art installation was placed along the central corridor of Nashville, Van Buren Street. Just southeast of the intersection at Main, a sculpture of wood and metal sits in the raised garden plaza outside the Nashville House & Spears Pottery. Local artist Michael Evans created three larger than life musical instruments leaning against each other. The instruments are a guitar, a banjo, and a fiddle (violin) all of which are commonly used in Bluegrass music. Review #1316

I wish I had read Ken's review before setting out trying to find this sculpture. Only after…read morecircling the block a few times and finally asking the locals, did I find out that this is located inside a building. Wow what an impressive intricate sculpture. We didn't get to see it all in detail as there was some sort of special event going on at the time. I will definitely have to revisit to make sure I see every detail of it. There is just so much to see.

What some would say is the heart of downtown Columbus, is an intricate kinetic sculpture weighing 7…read moretons and 30 feet in height! Chaos 1 (1971) by artist Jean Tinguely was commissioned for the previous plaza which was demolished, then rebuilt in 2008. You know a piece is special when the space was designed to show off and preserve the sculpture. The art was left in place during the demolition and reconstruction of the Commons. Protected by a large box, it was uncovered to a space that is protected from the elements with room to move and a mezzanine level for viewers to watch the upper functions of movement better. There are twelve motors that control the speed and timing of the 13 functions. (Note that the twisting of the base movement was shut off for daily function and is only activated during special events.) At times, the mechanism is relatively peaceful with only a few of the functions seeming to be moving. But between noon and 1 p.m. and later between 5 and 6 p.m, total chaos takes place with cannon balls weighing 7 pounds each drop. This does have the most mechanical problems due to the destructive impacts/nature of the drop. Review #1276

On the northwest corner of the IUPUC campus, an art installation called "Transformations" sits…read morewithin an outer wall creating a plaza for thought and reflection. The outer wall contains a quote from former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli that reads "A University must be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning." In the center of the installation, a towering stainless steel art piece (nearly 30') rises from a shrub filled base on a central column. Three smaller tubes rise from the side of the column, extending even higher. Within each of these tubes is a dichroic glass which extends into the sky and changes color between blue and green depending upon how the light hits it. From the wall (directly over the quote), another steel arm extends towards the central column then spreads into an encircling loop around the tube area. Personally, I find the entire installation to suggest a microscope and lab equipment, all of which can lead to learning and transformation of our understanding of the world around us. The installation is intended as a "front door" to the campus and encourages visitors to relax and reflect. Review #1308

Here's a few photos of my buddy a banana hanging out having the best time we came across each other…read moreright next to the coffee shop in the local area and we were having a fantastic time just hanging out cracking jokes being friends

As you wander through Nashville, you may happen to pass by a wooden sculpture of a tall, somewhat…read moredated figure of a man who was the deliverer of wisdom through the unlikely means of a comic strip. The sculpture is made from a single fallen tree and was carved by using a chain saw! The artist is Hoosier Chris Trotter who owns the nearby Wooden Wonders workshop in Nashville. He created the sculpture in 2015. The name of the character portrayed is Abe Martin. Abe was the creation of cartoonist Frank McKinney (Kin) Hubbard and was featured in a daily strip in the Indianapolis News from 1904-1930. Abe and the cast of characters created by Hubbard had an informal manner of speaking and from what I've read, had a way of making observations about human nature that mixed truth and humor. Nashville has made Abe Martin a prime "mascot" for activities in the area which include festivals and annual "Out House Races", so it seems fitting that a statue be created to celebrate the figure all year around. An example of the type of comment attributed to Abe Martin follows: "Nobuddy kin talk as interestin' as th' feller that's not hampered by facts er information." Review #1317

Enter Pumpkin Heaven. While in this autumnous heaven, I may or may not have spent $30+ on pumpkins…read more But, I'd like to say they made me... Well, more like they made it impossible not to want to leave with one of every one of their zillion varieties of orange, no green, no brown, no white, globes. You name it - they had it: edible, smooth, bumpy, enormous, tiny, rustic, vibrant and so on and so forth. Better yet, their prices were very practical - I wouldn't say dirt cheap, but fair. Not in the mood for fall yet? Hop in the car and take a little drive to Nashville, Indiana for a visit to Kelp's. If that doesn't do the trick - I don't know what will. Keep an eye out for their fall festival (first weekend of October). Take your camera!

Great selection. Worth the drive. We go every year. friendly people. They have a little bit of…read moreeverything. Bunnies, ponies, mums, maple syrup and other canned yummies, wreaths, gourds galore, Indian corn, sugar stalks and more pumpkins than you know what to do with. Prices are great and pumpkins are unique. Never seen the actual patch. We just buy everything in the front but I'm sure there's even more than that.